Because Strength Comes in Friendship
by The Goliath Beetle
Summary: Piper's feeling black and starts hurting herself, but Aerrow's there for her. Implied AerrowPiper. Rated for self-inflicted harm.


Because strength comes in friendship

**I'm in a really black mood, I had to vent it out, and so here is a story full of angst. It kind of really relates with what my friend must be going through right now, but I've added my touch to it**. **The Aerrow/Piper paring is implied, so no kissing or anything like that. On with the story**

She sat on her bed and cried. Slow tears fell down her face. Her friends didn't know. She didn't want their sympathy or pity. So every day for the past two days, she put on a fake act of happiness. Even to her, her laugh sounded high pitched and faux. They probably figured that she was acting strange, but they'll never know why. She wouldn't tell them. For Piper's father had been killed in a Cyclonian raid.

Piper wouldn't tell anyone; not even Aerrow. He might think her weak, or helpless. She had always had this need to be one of the strongest in the team. Not because she thought herself too emotional or to prove that she wasn't the sensitive one. No, it was because she knew that there would come situations where keeping the hope would be impossible. Her team needed her to be strong. She needed to be strong. New tears came.

If she told them, she would be showered with compassion and moral support. Well, not so much from Finn, but Aerrow, Junko, Radarr and even Stork. She didn't want that! That would only slow them down. So she had to be strong.

The first day she had found out, she had been in a state on deep denial. It came with a letter from the sky knight council. She read through each word carefully, and silently. Then she had gone to her room. She sat on the floor and stared in shock at the closed door. Slowly, it sank in like the sharp edge of a knife, piercing through skin. She didn't cry that day. The tears came the next night. Ever since that day, she'd been sitting on her bed every night, crying to herself quietly.

She remembered her father's face again. The last time she'd seen him, was when she was twelve, before she went to Terra Neverlandis. She sobbed loudly. She never got to say goodbye.

She felt alone. He was her last family member, cancer had taken her mother. She wanted a shoulder to cry on, but she wanted to be alone. She wanted to tell everyone, so they could help her, but she also wanted never to even mention it.

A beautiful glass clock sat on her bedside table, given to her by her father. She cried louder, remembering. In a sudden surge of anger, she gripped it tightly.

Before she knew what she was doing, she screamed and threw it across her room, making it hit the closed door and shatter. She could only glance at her handiwork before bursting into tears or regret.

She slowly walked to the broken glass, gazing at it as though expecting the shards to do a tap dance. There was a specifically pointy piece near her ankle. She bent down and picked it up.

More tears made their way down her cheeks as she decided. She took that lovely piece of glass, a part of her father's present, and dug it into her thigh.

The pain never came. Instead, warm, sticky liquid touched her skin.

Release.

She felt so much better! As though, all that emotional pain was seeping out as blood.

This was not strong.

This was so weak.

She didn't care anymore. For once in her life, she didn't care about crystals or work or Atmos. She didn't care about war or death or Cyclonis. She couldn't care less about winning or losing. She couldn't even care, if right now, Cyclonia took over all of Atmos. She just didn't care.

She did it again. This time, sticking the glass into her arm. It was so good.

Then, suddenly, her fingers fumbled and the glass fell and rolled under the bed.

Black.

Rage.

Anger.

Sorrow.

She screamed. She pulled her hair. The only thing that gave her happiness was taken away again. Why did this happen? Why?

There was a loud banging on the door.

She ignored it, and crawled into a corner and wept.

"Piper! PIPER! Open the door!"

It was him. It was her sky knight. He would be so angry with her.

The banging stopped. Good, he had gone.

Instead, the door creaked open. He had used the Condor's master key.

"Piper-" he began worriedly. But then Aerrow noticed the broken glass and a bleeding Piper.

"Piper?" his tone changed. It was angry and disappointed. She shook her head.

Carefully, he advanced to her. "Why?" he asked her quietly.

"Nothing," she squeaked. There was a soft weight on her bed as Aerrow sat down next to her.

"Please tell me."

Again, the girl shook her head.

"I want to help you," he said. Piper only wept more. Aerrow was getting angry, she could sense it. She held her breath and waited for an angry outburst. It never came.

Piper found herself being hugged by him, as though he would never let go. She cried on his shoulder and told him.

He rubbed her back in calming circles. "Please don't hurt yourself again." His voice was that of a worried and saddened lover.

"I promise," she whispered back.

It felt even better than cutting herself: being hugged by Aerrow. It felt like something deadly had been taken out of her, by telling him about her father.

It felt stronger.

Because strength comes in friendship.

Strength also comes in love.

**Please read and review, I've never tried my hand in angst before. Well, I don't know if this was 'angst' or 'hurt/comfort'…but I'm putting it up as angst. **


End file.
